Bag forming and filling apparatus



June 15 1926.

1,588,650 A. M. BATES BAG FORMING AND FILLING APPARATUS Original FiledFeb. 16, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet 1 3291 1 (QM/$1 flm 7.

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1,588,650 A. M. BATES BAG Fofmme AND'FILLING APPARATUS Original FiledFeb. 16. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gnue/nto'.

attoz mug June 15 1926.

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PATENT oeeiee.

ADELMER MI. BATES, OF CHICAGO, ILLIHUIS, ASSIGNOR TO BATEE! VALVE BAGCOM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, IZLINDIE, A CORIORATION vOIF WEST VIRGIN 15.5 24

331MB ZEORMIIE'G- AND FILLIHG- APPABATUE.

Applies/den filed February 16, 13%, Serial K6. 9,489. Benewed (lo-tube:531, 182755.

My invention reiotes io beg forming and. filling apparatus, and moreparticularly. to

certain features of apparatus for forming bags fTUIIl an elongated tubeof bug-making given of the apparatus in which they are included. 7 I

In the accompanying drawings llfillnlllg a part of this specification,Figure i 18 e side elevation of apparatus embodying the features oi myinvention, with parts broken away; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of theapparatus shown in Fig. 1 Fig. 3 'ie a View similar to Fig. 2 showingsome of the pal-ls in another position li'ig 'ison enlarged section onthe line 4-=-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an enlarged view, partly in Section,of a portion of the appoint-he; Fig.1? is l from. view oi the part shownin Fig. 5; Figs. 7 and 8 are vicwmsimiiei." to end 6, of a slightlymodified form.

lily a) mmtneiwlmles: o; liiimewoith l0 from winch rise \w'iicnl guidesll for a sewing head l2 and guides 13 for g1 weighing device ii. A oilof tubing; '15 is mounted on 'ourimls 16 in bearings 17, suitabl localewith relnliom to l'i'umo 10. Tu 18 from coil 15 is fed upward ovei"pulley '19, and thence downward to the weighing and sewing-me'heni:-:mse Pulley 19 is supported by a rope or cubic 20, which assesover a fixed support E il and is adjusbobly secured in any desiredmanner, as by winding about e button 22.

Within the portion of the tube which exfiends between pulley 19 and thesewing machine there is u float member 23 supported by e book 24, whichis adapted to be posiiiumwl over pulley 19 and inside of the tube, mthat the fleet remains at a substantially lixwl distahue from pulley 19while the tube ii; (.h'awn pins: the pulley. and float. liout comprisesa tubular body portion having, at. its upper end, a flapper member 25,vhieh is normally in the position shown in Fig. The weighing apparatusis provided with a downwardly directed disc-her e tube 26 having on itsforward edge e krii e (I In the operation of the apparatus,

18 is threaded over book 24 and float 23 until its lower end ison 'alevel with the rsewmgmachine, when the lower end. 18,

The

,been'posi'tioned in the tube.

closed by sewing a seam across it. Thereo'fiei' izhe end is drawn downuntil it is. substantially even with platform 28. Thereupon the tube andfloat are pressed egeint feed pipe 26 so that knife 27 forms atransverse slit in the side of the tube and enters beneath flapper 25.Flapper 25 has a Flange member'29 1n position to contest the'front sideof the float and limit the movement of the flapper and prevent contactof the knife with the wells of the float.

The relative proportions of the parts are such that, when 'the flange orfoe member 529 contacts the front wall of the float, feed tube 26registers with the opening between the edges of the slit formed by knife27 and with the opening through the tubule porlion 01 float While theparts are in that position, a properly weighed or measured charge ofmaterial is discherged through feed pipe 26 and float 23 into the lowerend of the tube.

After the charge has been deposited in the lower. end of the tube, it isswung to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3 and lowered uponbelt 31, by which it is fed along to the sewing machine. When the tubeis swung: away from feed pipe 26, the upper edge of the slit is forcedoutwardly flapper 25, so that it will not catch on the Peer edge'offloat 23. Ears 30 are provided at the sides of the flapper 25 inposition to sgread the tube so that the upper edge of t e slit, willtrot catch on the sides of the float when the tube is drawn down belt31,

The'type ofu pparatusdisclosed in the drawinge'is adapted for use withoeper tubes, and the sewing head is provide with means for guiding areinforcing tape 32 into Position so that the closing seams are sewethrough the tape. The sewin head may be provided with a cut/tel (not 51mm) which will sever the tube and reinforcing tape between the linespfstitching.

When the tube is swung to one side, as shown in Fi 3, them is a tendencyfor the tube to wrin 1e or fold at 33, immediately above the top 34- ofthe char 6 which has is may be taken advantage of in order to form 1'onto bellows-fold in the top of the tube at this point. As the tube isfed through the sewing machine, it is swung inlo a positionsubstantially] vert cally beneath pulley 19 so groove 36 in the float.

that the tube is straightened out, and a similar bellows-fold is formedin the other side of the tube.

After the tube has been closedand severed in this manner so as to comlete a filled package, the closed end of t e remainin portionof the tubeis drawn down unti it is substantially even with dplatform -28.- Theoperator may sometimes etermine the distance to which'the tube is drawndown, more easily than by judging from its being even with platform 28,by placing the fingers upon the slit formed by knife 27, or upon apreviously printed mark 35 on the fr0nt.of the tube, and drawin the tubedown until the slit or mark registers with The use of mark 35 is'especially advantageous Wherelabels 37 are printed upon the tube, becausethis enables the successive closures to be formed in proper relation tothe labels on the bags.

The elevation of the sewing machine anal the weighing and fillingmechanism is adjusted so that the sewing machine will form seams uponthe opposite sides of the slit and so close the filled bag and thebottom end of the remaining portion of the tube, and the severing knifecompletes the'severance of the tube walls at the point where they havebeen slit by knife 27.

As will be seen, the float 23 is a little longer than one bag length sothat, when the bottom of the tube rests upon platform 28, the slitthrough which the previously formed bagwas filled is opposite groove 36,and material is prevented by float 23 from leaking out through thispreviously formed slit. With some materials and for some purposes itmight be possible to make the float shorter and have only one bag lengthbelow the slit at the time of filling.

'The objection to this method of procedure as a general practice is thatit renders difficult proper filling of the bag, because of the roomtaken up by the float, and there is danger of the charge not all assingout of the feed pipe before the tu e is with drawn therefrom. Pulley 19is adjusted so that the top of the tubular portion of the float is theproper distance above platform 28.

If desired, filling openings may be formed in the tube before thefilling operation instead of forming the openings at the same. time thatthe feed pipe is inserted, .but the latter method prevents anydilllculty in obtaining proper registration of the feed pipe with theopening.

Different forms of openings and feed pipes may be used, but a straighttransverse I slit-is.-advantageous as it may he formed at the pointwhere the bags will be divided from the tube, and so requires noadditional closure. Furthermore, such a slit is best opened by spreadingthe middle portions of the two edges apart. on opposite sides of astraight line connecting'the ends of the slits, so that an oval openingis formed. If the slit were opened in such a way as to cause excessivestrain at the ends thereof, -the material might tear along 1rregularlines which might pass beyond the lines of the rospectiveclosures andmight cause diflicu y in the feeding of the tube over the float.

In the example shown, when a slit is formed by knife-27, the edge 38below the slit is held in position by the float while the edge 39, abovethe slit, is pressed towards the other wall of the tube by feed pipe 26,so that, as shown in Fig. 4, the two edges of the slit are placed atsubstantially equal distances from a line connecting the ends 40 of theslit. Opening up the slit in the manner described not only provides alarge opening in proportion to the size of the slit, but also enablesthe insertion of the charge in a line substantially parallel to the axisof the tube so that it passes readily through the tube and into positionagainst its closed end.

In the form offloat shown in Figs. 7 l

36, and corresponding reference numerals are applied, with-the numeralsprimed in Figs. 7 and 8. Instead of providing a groove 36, aposition-determining member may be provided comprising a longitudinalstrip 41 having a hook 42 adapted to be hooked into a notch in the upperedge of float 23'. At the lower end of member 41 there are transverselyextending arms 43. When the tube is drawn downward the upper edge of theslit may be pressed against the float so that it will catch on the uppersides of arms 43 and limit the downward movement of the tube. This formof limiting device is adapted for use where there are to be frequentchanges in the length of. bags formed, because the limiting member may'be withdrawn at any time through the slit and replaced by one having alonger orshorter member 41.

In the form of float shown, the lower corners are flattened and extendedoutward at 44 so as to form two substantially parallel flat plates atthe lower end of the float,

which may be used where desired to o nend than naturally accompanies itsmovement from platform 28 to belt 31. Where use the nature of thepackaged material or other circumstances render more settling orpacking'desirable, a jigglng table may be substituted for-platform 28,feed pipe 26 may be so lengthened that the material will drop lwithself-packing force, or other settling or claimed herein onlyfeatures which cannot I be claimed in my Serial No. 28,32l,-filed May 6,1925, in which I have packing expedients may be employed withoutmaterial change in the essential features of the invention. 7

" 'le-a complete method and apparatus been described, in order that theinvention may be fully understood, there is copending application,

I there is disclosed and claimed an apparatus tube is moved forwardinvolving many around, the

of the features disclosed in this application. I

' at I claim is:

1. Inv adapted a float ada tu e. and

packaging apparatus, a pulley ted to be inserted within a bag aving ahook adapted to hook pulley between the walls of a tube and retain thefloat in place while a L7 past the pulley and float.

2. In apparatus for packaging material, means for supporting rotatahly acoiled tube, a float, means to'guide etube from the coil support to andaround the float,

to have a bag tube passed thereover,

aeeo 8 means to maintain the float stationary While the tube is advancedtherearound, and means to feed material through an opening in the Sideof the tube and through the float into the tube beyond the float.

3. ln apparatus for packaging material,

a float, a pulley over which a tube may pass to and around the float, ahook attached to the float and adapted to hook over the pulleylu tomaintain. the float stationary while the tube is advanced therearound,and a feed pipe in position to feed material through 'an opening in theside of a tube which is positioned around the float and into a portionof the tube held expanded by the float. P

4. 'ln apparatus for packaging material,

a float having a tubular portion longer than the package to be formed, abead element positioned transversely on the exterioii of said tubularportion, and a shank maintaining said head element one bag-lengthdistant from theuupper end of the float, means to maintain the floatstationary while a tube is moved forward therearound, anda feed pipe inposition to 'feed material through an opening in the side of a tubewhich is positioned'around the float and into a portion.

of the tube held expanded by the float.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to thisspecificatio BATES.

